Frame Data
Frame Data is a term used to describe actions in the Bloody Roar series. Frame Data is not a gameplay element, rather a term used to describe various actions in Fighting games, particularly on a competitive level. Frame data helps the players to know which of the fighters' moves can put them in a vulnerable situation by revealing how much time the fighter will execute a move and how long they will take to recover from it. Read the Frame Data Frames lenghts A frame is a measurement of time. Every Bloody Roar games, since the first one, run at 60 FPS (60 frames per second). It provides a snapshot of the animation of the fighter in a given moment. Each character takes up more or less frames with every attack or block animation. Frame Data associated to a move shows various information: * Start up: (or Speed) Length in frames it takes for the move to hit after you press the corresponding input. * Active: The frames that have the hitbox of the attack ongoing * Recovery: Length in frames it takes for the fighter to recovering from the move and returning to a neutral state * Total of Frames: '''Include the total of frames between the start up, active and recovery frames. A move is, then, constituted to Start up frames followed directly by Active frames and finally by Recovery frames. Recovery and Stun When a fighter makes contact with an attack, the opponent is temporarily placed in a state where they cannot do anything, it's a stun. There are three types: * '''Block Stun: After the move has been blocked. * Hit Stun: After the move hit the opponent * Counter Hit Stun: After the move interrupted an opponent's move Since Bloody Roar 2, there is two types of Block Stun in the series: Light Block Stun and Heavy Block Stun, respectively, after the hit was blocked by a Light Guard or a Heavy Guard. A Heavy Block Stun has the longest recovery phases. In the case of the move misses the opponent (or Whiff) there is no stun, making the fighter vulnerable as they enter in the recovery phases with their opponent free to act. Frame Advantage After the attack makes contact with the opponent, the fighter will enter in a recovery state and the opponent in a stun state. Meaning that both fighters won't be able to do anything. The Frame Advantage is the subtraction of the recovery frame length of the move and the stun state length that this same move caused on the opponent. The Frame Advantage can be shown with a plus sign (positive) or a minus sign (negative): * Negative: The amount of frames when the fighter can't move (still in recovery state) but the opponent can, making the fighter vulnerable. * Positive: The amount of frames when the opponent can't move (still in stun state) but the fighter can, making the opponent vulnerable. Each move has a Frame Advantage after a: * Block: When the move has been blocked. Most of the time, the frame advantage will be negative. * Hit: When the move hits the opponent. Most of the time, the frame advantage will be positive. * Counter Hit: When the move interrupts an opponent's move. Most of the time, the frame advantage will be positive. Sometimes, some moves when blocked still have a frame advantage of +1 meaning that even if the hit doesn't land the fighter can still chained with another move. Example If a move is -10 on block, if the move is blocked by the opponent, the attacking character cannot do anything for 10 frames after the opponent will be free of their block stun. This allows the blocking character 10 frames to do anything (in a sense, giving the blocker +10 frames). If the blocking character has an 10 (or less) frame attack , this would be an ideal time to perform it. This is often referred to as a 10 frame punish. If a move is +5 on hit. This would mean the attacker can do anything for 5 frames (in a sens, the opponent is at -5 frames). If the attacker tries to immediately do an 10 frame move, the opponent has the time the go out of their stun and block it. But, If the hit opponent tries to attack back with his own 8 frame move. Since the hit opponent is at -5 frames, the attacker’s 10 frame move will be coming out in 10 frames while the blocker’s would come out in 13 frames (8+5=13). Since 10 frames is faster than 13 frames, the attacker’s attack would be the first to hit and it will result to a Counter Hit for the opponent. Other information Outside the frames length associated to each move, Frame data also shows: * Command: Inputs to execute the move * Range: Where the move hit (high, mid or low) * Damages: This is how much damage the attack does on successful hit. * Escape: Which direction the opponent can use to evade this move * Other notes associated to the type of the move or their particular effect Input Buffer Usually in a fighting game, press a command result to an immediate reaction (a move) but in some situation of recovery there is an Input Buffer, which means there is a frame length (most of the time 10 frames at the end of the Recovery frames) where every inputs you enter will get executed only at the end of this same frame length. In the same way, during a recovery, if you enter a command before the Input Buffer, this command won't get processed as it will be too early. Strategy Terms * Frame advantage: '''The difference in frame numbers it takes for a fighter to recover from his own attack and the time it takes for the opponent to recover. It is represented as a positive or negative number to indicate who recovers first after the move is executed. * '''Safe: An attack with low negative frame rate on recovery (generally from -5 and above). Meaning that they are hard to punish for the opponent. * Punish: When a fighter is hit during his recovery frame length. Move with high negative frame rate on recovery (generally -6 and bellow) are considered Punishable. * Be made safe: A punishable attack made safe by using particular strategy (distance or spacing) * Safe on block: A move that still has a positive recovery frame numbers when it's blocked. * Cancel: Some recovery length can be cancelled (interrupted) by using specific inputs during a Cancel Point. This mechanic gives the possibility to chain quickly with a new move and to be less vulnerable after a move * Frametraps: Doing a short pause in a combo string where the opponents think they have the time to make a move and hit you but, in reality, you chain with a quicker move and score a counterhit (during the start-up frames of the opponent's move). Recovery Buffering During a recovery, the Input Buffer will only cancel a command if the last Input it's before the Input Buffer length. This means that a player doesn't have to wait the end of their fighter's recovery time to start to enter the command of his combo, as long as the last input will be during the Input Buffer. In the same time as not wasting time between move, this strategy can also cause surprise because the opponent won't see your fighter moving preparing the next move. By the time your opponent sees you move, the attack is already in execution. Credits Most of this article is taken from : *Street Fighter wiki: Frame Data *SDTEKKEN: Frame Data Guide *WGN: Tekken 7 Frame Data explained and its importance External Links * Bloody Roar Extreme Frame Data Access by @jerimiahisaiah and @UnclePunch_ Category:Terms Category:Gameplay Category:General Fighting Game